Benin Receives Assistance for Forests and Adjacent Lands Management Program

Contacts
In Washington: Aby Toure (202) 473 8302

akonate@worldbank.org  

In Cotonou: Karim Okanla (229) 31 21 24

kokanla@worldbank.org

WASHINGTON, June 29, 2006 – The World Bank Board of Executive Directors today approved a project that will promote socially, technically and economically viable management of forest and adjacent land resources by communities in Benin.

The Forests and Adjacent Lands Management program will be financed by a US$6 million grant from the Global Environment Facility (GEF) which was endorsed by the GEF Council on May 8, 2006.

The proposed project will assist Benin in its efforts to resolve problems preventing shifts to integrated forest and adjacent land ecosystem management and thus strategically influence ecosystem management trends.  It aims to strengthen the institutional capacity of the forestry administration as well as others stakeholders, help promote the participation of community based organizations in the management of forest and adjacent lands, and sustain contribution of forest resources to the well being of local populations.

“It is anticipated that this project will intervene in 16 nationwide forests, with various sizes and socio-cultural, economic and environmental characteristics.  These include 14 gazetted natural forests, and two sensitive protected forests in fuel wood producing areas,” said Clotilde Ngomba, the World Bank Task Team Leader of the project.

Ngomba also added that “the government has recognized the environmental and economic importance of the gazetted and protected forests in Benin and their potential in reducing poverty and it is expected that the rational management of natural resources would reverse the degradation of forests upon which rural populations depend for subsistence.”

The Forests and Adjacent Lands Management program will focus on the following components:

Institutional Support and capacity Building will strengthen the technical capacity of the forestry administration, and other participants involved in forest management.  It will include the adoption and implementation of a new forestry administration organizational structure at the central, department and local levels, including establishing and operationalizing a unit responsible for planning, monitoring and evaluation, making available information and the tools necessary for management and decision-making to all the stakeholders.

Community-Based Management of Forest Resources aims to optimize the ecological, social and economic services from the ecosystem.  It will also support promotion of improved agricultural techniques in adjacent lands in collaboration with the regional centers for rural development (CeRPAs).

Sustainable Fuel wood Production and Marketing will pilot an approach to promote production and use of wood fuel from the sustainably managed forests.  This will involve elaborating wood fuel supply plans for the north and south of the country.

The Global Environment Facility (GEF) is a mechanism for providing new and additional grant and concessional funding to meet the agreed incremental costs of measures to achieve agreed global environmental benefits in the six focal areas - climate change, biodiversity, international waters, ozone, land degradation, and persistent organic pollutants.  GEF also supports the work of the global agreements to combat desertification and eliminate persistent organic pollutants.

The World Bank Group is one of GEF’s implementing agencies and supports countries in preparing GEF co-financed projects and supervises their implementation.  It plays the primary role in ensuring the development and management of investment projects. The Bank draws upon its investment experience in eligible countries to promote investment opportunities and to mobilize private sector, bilateral, multilateral, and other government and non-government sector resources that are consistent with GEF objectives and national sustainable development strategies.  Since 1991, the World Bank Group has committed $1.972 billion in GEF resources and $3.037 billion in Bank group co-financing for GEF projects in 80 countries. In addition to GEF and Bank resources, it has mobilized additional co-financing of $6.952 billion from other donors.